White House: The President Carlos P. Garcia Ancestral House in Tagbilaran City

A heritage place I recently visited in Tagbilaran City, Bohol is the President Carlos P. Garcia Museum. Locals refer to it as the White House largely because of the dominant color of the house paint. It has no resemblance whatsoever to the White House of Washington D.C., U.S.A. The museum is the former residence of Carlos P. Garcia, the first Visayan president of the independent Philippine republic. This property was declared as a Heritage House by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in 4 September 2009. It is under the care of the provincial government of Bohol.

Location of Pres. Carlos P. Garcia Museum in Bohol

The President Carlos P. Garcia Museum is located at A. Hontanosas Street corner F. Rocha Street not far from the heart of Tagbilaran City. The terminal for public utility vehicles plying the Tagbilaran City to Panglao route is found right in front of the house. While this is located near the heart of Bohol's only city, this is usually skipped by most tourists visiting Bohol. It's a good thing that I saw some elementary school students having a tour at the museum when we got there. At least, those kids will learn a bit about the history of their country.

Features of the Pres. Carlos P. Garcia Museum in Bohol

The house is not really that old having been built in the 1950's. President Carlos P. Garcia was a native of the town of Talibon and his family only acquired land and built a house in Tagbilaran City after World War II.

The property has considerable size. It features a wide lawn along with the two-storey house.

The CPG Museum as viewed from the lawn

Memorabilia, paintings, and furniture belonging to the Garcia family are on display at the museum. Some of the collections at the National Museum Bohol Branch was once displayed here before they were moved to its current location.

A life-size painting of Pres. Carlos P. Garcia and family

One part of the house was converted into an audio-visual room where films are shown. The bloggers from Cebu were shown a film about the recovery efforts in Bohol after the 2013 earthquake. We were also shown a film about CPG's life.